BoJamesDuke

Luke had to laugh at B.L's attempts to get him to relax. He knew when he was thinking rationally that the worry and stress he held at the moment was going to serve no other purprose than making him ill and Bo even more upset if he knew how badly this had affected Luke. He gently reached up and lightly slapped her cheeks, grinning slightly as she jerked away, then turned around and started to tickle her playfully. After a minute or two, he calmed down and got thinking again. "The thing is B.L, if this is something so serious Bo couldn't tell me before, he still aint gonna be able to tell me for a few days. What I need to do is find out more before Bo can tell me so I can tell him what I found out on my own and then he'd have no choice but to tell me the rest. I want to get a look at that wound on his temple....see how he could have done that..."

Luke sighed, rubbing his hands over his face, trying to stop the gentle ache that had once occupied his head turning into a full blown pound. He breathed in deep as B.L wrapped his arms around his waist and closed his eyes, trying to compose himself, chuckling slightly. "B.L i'd never hit ya.....Look I know that I ain't no superhero, but me and Bo's been close every since we was knee high to grass hoppers and...I can't stand the thought that he was keeping somethin' this serious from me....I know he ain't a little kid anymore, but he still knows he can tell me anythin' even if he don't want my help...."

Luke could feel his fraying nerves snap, and before he realised what he was doing, he was on his feet, sharply pushing B.L's soothing hands away and turning to her, standing over her, eyes blazing with a worry filled and frustrated fury. "For god sake why don't you understand?! I CAN'T SLEEP! No matter how hard I try, no matter how many times I count sheep or count the damn ceiling tiles, I just can't! I love Bo! He is my baby brother and seeing him like he was at the lake and then hooked up to that ventilator is all that I see everytime my eyes close!" Tears were running down his cheeks, all the pent up emotion he had while he was trying to be strong for Daisy and Uncle Jesse finally crashing from behind the walls that he had built against them. "He's my baby brother, I should have been able to protect him! I should have seen all this happening but I didn't! I was too wrapped up in my own life that I didn't see him at all! All i ever did was snap and yell at him, no wonder he couldn't come and talk to me!" He angrily kicked an empty glass bottle across the road, where it connected with the wall with a smash.

Luke glared at B.L, why was everyone so fixated on getting him to sleep?Didn't they all see what had happened the last time he had let himself fall into that comforting darkness? He had been jerked awake to find Bo practically choking to death because he was deeply submerged in a nightmare that had Luke been awake and paying attention, Luke could have recognised earlier on and gotten Bo awake and calm again before the nightmare got too serious. But as it was, he didn't and now Bo was going to stay mute for longer than he should have been. And then there was the whole issue with him not recognizing the early signs that Bo was upset and troubled. He had known the signs since Bo was a little kid, and had always managed to catch whatever it was that was bothering his younger cousin before Bo could dwell on the problem too much because exactly this was what would happen if he had done. He put his head back on his hands as B.L glared determindly back at him. He hated the doctor for have tricking him like that, but at the time he didn't have the heart nor the will to be angry at him for doing it. He was too worried about Bo, he was and is so worried for Bo that at that moment nothing else in the whole world mattered. "I just can't B.L, I can't..."

With a sob Daisy pulled sharply away from Luke, crossing over to sit by the window, soon joined by Uncle Jesse who had sighed and followed her, throwing a look to Luke that plainly said 'We're gonna have a long talk later.' Luke sighed and leant back in his seat, rubbing his hands over his face before standing up and walking out of the waiting room and outside the hospital, heading towards the calming gardens so he could compose himself and focus on what needed to be done next. Bo still wouldn't be able to talk for a few days yet, but he needed to get to the bottom of this. Why had Bo lied about hitting his head? Why had he lied about going to the dcotor? He had even lied to Uncle Jesse, which was something you just neevr did if you knew what was good for you. Luke knew that it had to be something pretty serious for him to risk getting a damn good switching. Frustrated, he put his head in his hands and growled. "It don't make no sense!"

Daisy smiled tearfully and looked up at Luke. "Ya got that right. Look at ya, you's look like a racoon with them big ol dark circles under yer eyes. Come on now Luke, the least you could do is try and get some sleep." She hugged him tighter round his waist, the worry for her older cousin now filling her eyes as well as fresh tears. "PLease Luke....having one cousin so badly ill in here is bad enough....I don't think I could cope with two..."

Daisy sobbed and curled more into Luke's comforting embrace. "Oh Luke i'm real sorry...I didnt mean ta yell i'm....i'm just so worried about Bo and...I just want to know he's gonna be alright...."

Daisy gasped as Luke re told what he had found out and she nodded firmly, tears pricking at her eyes, as Uncle Jesse told Luke off, agreeing with him. That was not something he should have kept from the family. "Luke I dont believe you didn't tell us! What if that could have helped the doctor figure out what's happening to him? Did you even tell the doc that Bo hit his head nearly a week ago?!" The tears fell softly down her cheeks as she yelled at Luke.

Daisy was quick to take up a chair next to Luke, seeing the exhausted look and the way his legs seemed to wobble beneath him when he walked. She gently started to stroke the back of his neck again, leaning her head comfortingly on his shoulder. She could tell how worried Luke was through the lack of sparkle in his blue eyes that were now fighting to stay open. She then remember what Luke had been saying the previous day and looked up at him. "Luke...what's happening to Bo? You said you knew something but you wanted me to wait until today for you to tell me."

Daisy smiled sheepishly at B.L. "Sorry, with everythin' going on it just slipped my mind. Luke didn't sleep none at all either I dont think."

Daisy sighed, standing up and hugging her friend before pulling away. "He was but according to Uncle Jesse who says according to Luke, Bo had a nightmare and when he woke up he was so badly frightened that he choked on the tube and wouldn't calm down, not even when Uncle Jesse went in to soothe him. They had to knock him out. The good thing is they removed the tube."

Daisy sighed as she heard about Bo, knowing now that something was very seriously wrong to make him work up into such a state. But she was too tired to worry about it at that moment and the soothing actions that Jesse was doing make her fall asleep

Daisy jerked awake as Jesse re-entered the waiting room, looking over at the older man's weary and worry filled face. "Uncle Jesse? What happened? Is something wrong with Bo?"

As he heard Uncle Jesse's voice whispering lovingly in his ear, Bo seemed to calm a little. But he had to tell him about Luke, if Uncle Jesse could get to Luke then he could be saved. He tried to fight the thing that was lodged painfull in his throat to get the words out, he needed Uncle Jesse to understand. If he didn't he would lose Luke forever

Bo hears all the people talking to him and around him but all it succeds in doing is panicking him more. His mind was still racing with the nightmare, still unable to tell what was reality and what was his dream. He can hear someone telling him to calm down, but as the feeling in his body lessens and he finds he cant move he panics further, recalling the feeling all too well from his dream

Bo jerked awake as Luke tapped his cheeks, the feeling in his body very much back. He threw himself up into a sitting position, clawing at his throat, sobbing as he found himself trying to gasp for air but finding the breathing tube blocking his ability to.

We're gonna get your family boy. One by one we're gonna get them....we'll start with your Uncle...then that pretty little cousin of yours before hitting the dark one. We're gonna make your life a misery Duke. "No please....please leave them.... "No way, we told you this was gonna happen. You squealed on us, now your family's gonna pay." Bo couldn't move as the gun was drawn and pointed at his family members that were sat, tied against the wall. He watched as each person's eyes widened in fright and their breating's quickened. Bo wanted nothing more than to run forward as the gun cocked in front of Luke. He screamed out as the gun shot rang out and his best friend, his older brother slumped against the wall, blood dripping from the wound on his chest. Bo tossed and turned as his nightmare took hold, his screams and mumbles making him choke on the breathing tube.

Daisy laughed at her friend's comments about tieing Luke up. She couldn't say she hadn't thought of doing that herself and practically force the sleeping pills down his throat again, knowing that now Luke was wise to the trick he wouldn't fall for it twice....well maybe if he was really exhausted but she didn't want it to get that far. "Luke didn't really take much notice to the fact he'd been drugged, it surprised me. The first thing he asked about when he woke back up was if Bo was alright and then he asked us if we was in cohoots with the Doctor to put him to sleep. As soon as we changed the subject back to Bo though he dropped it and said no more." She giggled slightly, finding it odd to here orders to sleep from her best friend, but she complied, saying a quick thankyou and goodbye before returning to Uncle Jesser, informing him of B.L's plans to visit tomorrow and saying a quick prayer for Bo with him before curling back up next to him in the seat and drifitng off into sleep.

DAisy smiled at her friend's willingness to jump to the family's wishes if they needed it. "No its alright B.L, There wouldn't be much point. me and Uncle Jesse are beat so we're probably just gonna get some shut eye, and Luke's been given full visitng privaliges. I'm real worried about him too....he ain't slept willingly since we brought Bo in, we had to get the doctors to drug him in the end."

Daisy laughed despite herself as B.L answered the phone in a rush. "Hey to you too B.L, sorry I left this so late, its just we's all been so worried..." She held back the quiver that was threatining to show in her voice. "Bo's awake but he's still in real bad shape. He's got a bad chest infection and the flu which doesn't help none. His breathin's so bad that they's got him on a ventilator...the breathing tube hurts him to bad B.L but they cant take it out..."

Daisy sighed and pulled herself gently from his embrace. "No...I better ring her or she wont be able to sleep with worry. I'll be right back." Daisy sneaked a look into Bo's room as she passed, sighing as she saw Luke was still not asleep. She slipped a few coins into the payphone and dialled B.L's number, hoping that she wasn't going to be too mad for her leaving the update this late.

Daisy sighed and snuggled into Jesse, wrapping her arms around him and letting herself start to succumb to sleep. "Uncle Jesse, we need to ring B.L and let her know how Bo's doin'..."

As Luke settled his head next to Bo's on the edge of the pillow, Bo finally succumbed to the gentle soothing songs that Luke was singing and the gentle touch that held so much love and promises of protection. He sank slowly into sleep, nuzzling slightly more into his older cousin's hand. Daisy watched with Uncle Jesse as her two cousin's lay side by side, each comforting the other without any words. She loved those two boys, she really did, and never ceased to be amazed at how close they were. She just hoped that whatever had got Bo so seriously ill could be discovered soon so the relationship could go back to how it once was.

Bo listened as Luke recalled some old memories, gradually slipping into sleep as he did. He felt safe knowing that Luke was beside him and holding his hand. While he could feel the loving solid grip, he couldn't respond to it, but the look on Luke's face told him that it didn't matter one single bit. He jerked himself awake as his eyes slipped closed, willing himself to stay awake until Luke fell asleep, wanting to know that Luke wasn't going to get in the same state as he was at that moment by neglecting his own health through worry over him. No matter how much Luke was to tell him to go to sleep, he refused to until his cousin slept soundly beside him.

Bo nodded a little, trying to appear as happy as Luke was, but he failed miserably. He was glad he was being moved to a private room because it was a sign that he was getting better even if right now it didn't feel like it. But the fact that he still needed to be hooked up to a breathing machine, that he was so weak he couldn't do the simplist things for himself hit him hard and he hated it. The pain from the breathing tube, when he wasn't put on the sedative, was unbareable, but so was seeing Luke and the rest of his family so upset. In keeping his family away from danger, trying to spare them any physical pain, he had caused more of the worst kind. He had hurt them emotionally by getting so badly ill and he hated himself for it.